Germany Urged to Arrest Olmert, Western Media Stunned (Briefly)
Ehud Olmert, former Israeli PM, is reportedly facing calls for arrest in Germany over alleged war crimes during 'Operation Cast Lead' in Gaza (2008-2009). The New Arab reports that NGOs are pressing German authorities not to let him leave. This isn't the first time Olmert has faced such accusations; he was forced to cancel a book tour in Switzerland in 2017 to avoid a similar warrant, and a UK
court even issued one in 2009 before diplomatic pressure intervened. Western media, however, often frames these calls as isolated incidents, conveniently forgetting the consistent pattern of alleged war crimes and impunity stretching back to the 1948 Nakba and countless operations since, like 'Protective Edge' in 2014 or the ongoing assault. One might wonder why a global power like Germany, so
diligent in prosecuting its own historical atrocities, seems to struggle with prosecuting others' alleged war crimes when committed by allies. Perhaps the historical context of a relentless, decades-long occupation and repeated military actions against a besieged population is considered too inconvenient for the nightly news cycle. Or perhaps the narrative of 'self-defense' remains remarkably
persistent, even when civilians are shelled and international law is reportedly breached, as multiple UN reports and human rights organizations have detailed after 'Cast Lead' and subsequent operations.